-law, with a well-manned
ship; and as they rowed towards the fleet, Skopte called out that
Thorleif should move out of the harbour to make room for him, and should
go to the roadstead. Eirik in haste took up the matter, and ordered
Skopte to go himself to the roadstead. When Earl Hakon heard that his
son thought himself too great to give place to Skopte, he called to them
immediately that they should haul out from their berth, threatening them
with chastisement if they did not. When Thorleif heard this, he ordered
his men to slip their land-cable, and they did so; and Skopte laid his
vessel next to the earl's as he used to do. When they came together,
Skopte brought the earl all the news he had gathered, and the earl
communicated to Skopte all the news he had heard; and Skopte was
therefore called Tidindaskopte (the Newsman Skopte). The winter after
(A.D. 973) Eirik was with his foster-father Thorleif, and early in
spring he gathered a crew of followers, and Thorleif gave him a boat
of fifteen benches of rowers, with ship furniture, tents, and ship
provisions; and Eirik set out from the fjord, and southwards to More.
Tidindaskopte happened also to be going with a fully manned boat of
fifteen rowers' benches from one of his farms to another, and Eirik went
against him to have a battle. Skopte was slain, but Eirik granted
life to those of his men who were still on their legs. So says Eyjolf
Dadaskald in the "Banda Lay":--

"At eve the youth went out
To meet the warrior stout--
To meet stout Skopte--he
Whose war-ship roves the sea
Like force was on each side,
But in the whirling tide
The young wolf Eirik slew
Skopte, and all his crew
And he was a gallant one,
Dear to the Earl Hakon.
Up, youth of steel-hard breast--
No time hast thou to rest!
Thy ocean wings spread wide--
Speed o'er the foaming tide!
Speed on--speed on thy way!
For here thou canst not stay."

Eirik sailed along the land and came to Denmark, and went to King Harald
Gormson, and staid with him all winter (A.D. 974). In spring the
Danish king sent him north to Norway, and gave him an earldom, and the
government of Vingulmark and Raumarike, on the same terms as the small
scat-paying kings had formerly held these domains. So says Eyjolf
Dadaskald:--

"South through ocean's spray
His dragon flew away
To Gormson's hall renowned.
Where the bowl goes brav